


Accidentally Question Mark

by wierdrocks



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast), Twilight Mirage - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21672163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wierdrocks/pseuds/wierdrocks
Summary: Kent: My dear Gig, do you know why it is that I've asked you here today?Gig: Is because I accidentally sent you my nudes?Kent: *stops pouring two glasses of jelly juice* Accidentally?
Relationships: Kent Brighton/Gig Kep-hart, background Grand Magnificent/Echo Reverie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

Gig was working on the plans for a new pop-up greenhouse—the Produce Producer was pretty tame by his normal standards but he knew it was going to end up helping a lot of people. There hadn’t been any plans to unveil with the Brighton Lineage specifically, but Kent has been ecstatic when Gig had first told him about it. Kent is ecstatic about most of Gig’s projects, but the greenhouse would be able to create a sustainable environment for specific crops anywhere, meaning ships could grow their own food for long journeys and places like water-locked Brighton could get ground products like jelly juice. 

“It’s such a rare treat over here, you see,” Kent had said. “Oh how wonderful to make our own! Perhaps for holidays or… do you think we could create our own strain?”

“Well it comes from the ground,” Gig said, idly flipping through different schematics. The shape had taken him a long time to pin down. It didn’t help that the Quire system didn’t have a real sun, meaning that a lot of prevail wisdom on building greenhouses didn’t apply. And what about planets that got very little light from the Weird Beam Thing anyway? Could they get it to work underground? Gig shook his head to clear it, then continued:

“It tastes a little different wherever you go, depending on the ground you get it from. If you could bring soil up from the seafloor, I don’t see why that wouldn’t make…” he thought for a moment. “Sea jelly juice? Jelly fish juice?” He turned to screen he’d been talking to. It was basically a thin sheet of glass covered in salt water, different kinds. The salt moved together to form Kent’s bright, smiley face. “Do you have jelly fish?”

“We have many varieties of jelly fish,” Kent said, his voice just on the edge of boastful. “The next time you come down here, I will show you.” The World Without End was in orbit above Brighton while they waited for a job or two to come along. “There’s a spot not too far from my home, ah,” Kent looked down, pink grains of sea salt congregating along his cheekbones. “This species glows at night. We could go. Perhaps pack a lunch.”

“Well it wouldn’t be lunch.” Gig turned back to his schematics. 

“What?” There was something like disappointment in his voice. Gig glanced over, tried to sound reassuring. 

“Cause it would be at night,” he said. “Lunch is in the afternoon. Or the exactly noon, if you’re a noon lunch person. We’d be having dinner. Like a really late dinner. Are the jelly fish on a seasonal rotation or can I just come down whenever?”

“Oh!” There’s Kent. “Oh, yes of course. We will pack a dinner.” There’s happy, excitable Kent. He was always so cute. Gig shook his head again. “Please, come down whenever. You are always welcome in my home, Gig.” ‘In my home’, not ‘on Brighton’, not even just ‘here’. ‘In my home’, the place where I live and eat and breathe and sleep. “I’ll have to be going soon,” Kent said. “Please, do send me those plans.”  
“Course,” Gig said and the call ended. The water cascaded down off the glass and into a little trough at the bottom of the screen. Gig was watching it fall, listening to the water drain away, as his hands moved across his files. He closed the schematics. Then he pressed it and dragged it towards Kent’s inbox. Or he thought he did. 

See, “Produce Producer” starts with a P and “Nudes” starts with an N, and those letters are very close to each other in the alphabet. Gig had never thought to label the photo files anything else—otherwise, how could he find them again? And it’s not like anyone using his system would ever click on the Nudes folders because _obviously_ if it is labeled Nudes, then there are nudes in there. And no one would want to see his nudes without his permission. Just like he probably shouldn’t have sent his entire folder of nudes to Kent Brighton. 

Now, had they been farther away from Brighton, this would be less of a problem. He could have just sent an URGENT-marked message to the routing station and they would have been able to delete the file before it got sent out. But because they were in orbit and Kent’s place was so close, there would be no routing station involved. Kent probably got the message seconds after Gig sent it. Maybe he was looking through the pictures right now. Dozens of them. Taken mostly when Gig was bored or when he was going through a rough patch and needed a self-confidence boost. 

Gig rolled out from under the pool table, pushed himself to his feet and bolted down the hallway to the cargo bay, screaming the entire time.


	2. Chapter 2

“Echo! Echo, Echo, Echo, Echo!!! Eeeeechooooo!” When Gig got to the bay entrance, he was immediately clotheslined. Echo reached out to stop him with a single strong arm. In the same motion, they wrenched Gig out of the hallways and into the bay, then stepped into the hallway, sword in hand.

“What? What’s happening? Does Even know? Is someone on the ship?” They were talking really fast, moving between the doorway and the hallway, scanning the area. Gig was wriggling on the floor, trying to get his breath back. Something moved to his left.

There was a mattress lying on the floor of the cargo bay, which was odd because Echo usually slept in their weird hammock thing. “What the fuck?” Grand Magnificent threw the covers off his head and sat up on his elbows. That made it less weird. No way Grand was ever going to do the hammock the thing, and Gig imagined it would get crowded with two people. He also imagined you could make some sort of handing bed with the mattress and the—

“Gig!” Echo’s voice cut through his thoughts. Slotted fully into Combat Mode. 

“Sorry,” Gig got to his feet. “No, the ship isn’t in danger, I promise, everything’s fine. I’m sorry.” He moved his hands in a calming manner. Echo’s shoulders fell and they threw their head back and groaned.

“Gig, come on. That was your danger scream.” They scrubbed a hand down their face.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. I panicked,” Gig said sheepishly. Grand sighed as well and rolled back over onto his side. 

“Well, I’m glad no one is in dying. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to my day.” 

“Well I still need to talk to Echo,” Gig said, gesturing toward Echo as they moved back into the bay. 

“Well then the two of you can move into the hallway or Gig’s room or something. You know, be considerate?”

“Shut up, Grand,” Echo said, halfway between teasing and annoyed. Grand pulled a pillow over his head. Echo carefully stowed their sword away. “What’d you need Gig?”

“Some of us are trying to sleep,” Grand sat up quickly. The pillow went flying. 

“It’s three in the afternoon,” Gig said, incredulous. And he had a right to be, didn’t he? 3 pm ship time was a perfectly acceptable time to assume people would be awake. Grand flipped him off. 

“ _You_ could go back to _your room_ ,” Echo said. Grand pulled the covers tighter over his shoulders. 

“Look, I have a very strict beauty regimen—it’s a little toned down from where it was last year, but it’s still very important I get a very precise amount of sleep and _somebody_ kept me awake for most of the night, so excuse me for wanting to get myself back on schedule.” He wriggled around and got comfortable under the covers. Echo shook their head fondly. They walked over to one corner where they’d set up two folding chairs and an upturned crate to serve as a table. They dropped into one chair and gestured for Gig to take the other. He did, sheepishly. 

“Okay,” Echo breathed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I accidentally sent Kent Brighton all of my nudes,” Gig said very matter-of-factly. Echo blinked. In the background, Grand practically shrieked,

“You _what_?”

“I sent all of my—” Gig started repeat himself and Echo waved a hand in the air.

“Wait, wait, wait,” they said. “What’d you mean _all_?” 

“Like, you know—the whole folder.”

“You have… a folder of just nudes?” Echo asked. Grand huffed from under his blankets. “You have something you wanted to say, Grand?” Echo sounded like they were properly annoyed now. They were trying to comfort their friend. Couldn’t Grand give it a rest for _once_? 

Grand uncovered his head and looked over at them. “You’re acting like having a folder for your nudes is weird.”

Echo blinked slowly. “I—what?”

“See!” Gig gestured at Grand. Echo looked between them a couple of times, baffled.

“What, you’re just gonna leave your nudes mixed in with all your other photos? That’s unseemly.”

“Exactly.” Gig nodded. “And I’m always showing people pictures, like what if they’re the kind of people who swipe through your gallery?”

“Ugh,” Grand scoffed. “I hate those people.”

“Oh yeah, it’s super rude.”

“Like, I’m showing this specific thing. Look at it and then give me my phone back, damn.”

Echo clapped their hands together once. Gig and Grand stopped abruptly and looked at them. “I think we’re getting off topic, just a little.” They looked at Gig. “You sent _every nude photo you have of yourself to Kent Brighton_.”

“Yes.” Gig nodded, face turning bright pink again.

“Whose home we are orbiting right now?”

“Yes.”

“So you can’t call the message back,”

“And he probably already opened them.” Gig scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “What am I gonna _doooooo_?”

“Gig.” Echo put their hand on his shoulder. “Kent’s your friend, right?”

“Yeah, he’s one of my best friends. I don’t want to have accidentally assaulted him.”

“Well, if Kent’s your friend, why don’t you just call him and apologize?” Echo asked quietly. 

Gig looked at them through his fingers. “You really think it’s that easy?” He mumbled into his palms.

Echo nodded. “Yeah, it could be. And I mean, Kent loves you.” Gig made a face. “He does! He really cares about you! I can’t imagine that this would amount to more than, like, 

Grand was sitting up on his elbows again. “Yeah, I mean, if I accidentally got sent a friend’s nudes I’d probably be just as embarrassed as them. I bet he opened the folder, saw what it was and then closed it right away.”

“You have friends?” Gig asked, mostly unironically. 

Grand rolled his eyes. “Haha, very funny.” Echo and Gig just looked at him for a second. “You!” Grand shouted. “Literally both of you are my friends!”

“Ohhhhh,” Echo and Gig nodded at the same time. Grand groaned and rolled back over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess echo doesn't take a lot of nudes.


	3. Chapter 3

Gig sighed and settled back into a chair in the lounge. He opened his email and got ready to type out a nice, long apology and beg forgiveness. Instead, he stared at the screen for a few minutes.

Inbox (1) FROM: Kent Brighton

This was bad.  
This was bad, bad, bad.  
Oh no this is _baaaaaa_ —STOP PANICKING GIG!

Instead, just open the email.

_*click*_

_My Dearest Gig_  
_I cannot tell you tell you how surprised I was to receive your message! Though I am still looking forward to perusing the schematics of your latest act of genius, the Produce Producer, I must _insist_ you come down to my villa at your earliest convenience so that we may discuss your gallery attachment in more detail. I do so look forward to see young, and to our continued correspondence._  
_Ever your affectionate friend, Kent Brighton_

Gig replied with an attachment of the Produce Producer schematics. Nothing in the subline, nothing in the body. Then he screamed into his pillow for seventeen minutes. 

*

The sitting room outside Kent’s office was absolutely spotless. It was decorated with lavender, white, and silver enamel and pearl inlays. There were also candles around, which hadn’t been there the few times Gig had been to visit before. On top of that, Kent had set up a nice little table with candlesticks and two chairs. He must’ve been expecting company before he had to stop everything to address Gig’s behavior. Gig felt sick; he’d ruined everything. 

Kent came out of his office wearing a double-breasted blue coat with silver buttons. It was decorated with a swirling, iridescent mother of pearl patterns on the hem and sleeves. When he walked, the light coat on the mother of pearl beads and made it look like the waves were rolling across his torso. He also had his hair done up nice and was wearing blue eyeliner. The fancy outfit just cemented in Gig’s brain that he had royally Fucked Up his friend’s evening. 

“Hi, Kent,” Gig said, standing in the middle of the room and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his cargo pants and was trying to fold in on himself.

“Hello Gig,” Kent smiled, his eyes bright. “It’s so lovely to see you. I enjoyed our phone call earlier this afternoon.”

Gig chuckled. “Oh, heh… cool. I did too. Um, listen, Kent—”

Kent held up a gentle hand. “Please Gig,” he touched one of the nice chairs at the table. “Have a seat.”

“Oh… yeah, okay.” Gig sat uneasy in the plush wingback chair opposite Kent’s. 

He expected Kent to sit opposite him and give him a talking to, but instead he wheeled over an ice bucket with a glass bottle sitting inside it. Gig recognized the label, a high-end jelly juice. Kent must’ve sent out for it special for this evening he had planned. He opened his mouth to try and apologize again, but Kent surprised him again, uncorking the bottle with a _pop_. 

“I sent away for this a little while ago,” Kent explained. He set two crystalline glasses on the table and began pouring. “But by the time it arrived, it’d turned.”

“Like it’s gone bad?” Gig asked. What was _happening_? Was Kent not mad? Or was he so mad he was going to force-feed Gig rancid jelly juice?

“Oh not at all,” Kent smiled again. “It’s turned to ferment. Makes an excellent wine.” He poured one glass. “As I said before, dearest Gig, I—well, I’m not sure I can properly express how it made me feel to receive your correspondence.”

“It was supposed to just be a work email…” Gig murmured. The jelly juice smelled fragrant and sweet. Gig had had wine before, but he hadn’t really liked it. Grand had said he might prefer sweeter stuff over the dry white he’d had. When Kent handed Gig his glass, Kent’s fingers brushed his. Their hands touched for just a beat longer than was strictly necessary. Gig furrowed his brow at it but didn’t say anything.

“I’m so glad it wasn’t.” Kent said, just above a whisper. And now, Gig was starting to get confused.

Well, not confused than before. “Wait… sorry,” Gig said. “I think maybe—maybe we’re not on the same page here.” He gestured between the two of them with his drink hand, sloshing the tiniest bit of jelly-wine onto Kent’s pristine white tablecloth. “Oh, shit,” he set his glass down and rummaged in his cargo pants pockets for a fabric pen. 

“It’s alright, Gig,” Kent’s voice was just on the edge of a laugh.

“No, no, it’s not.” Gig shook his head. He rubbed the tip of the stain-removing pen across the fabric. “I mean, first I accidentally blind you with my nudes, then I ruin your things.” The deep purple-red came up easily enough, fresh as it was. “There. Now I’m less of an asshole.” 

“Accidentally?” Kent blinked. 

Gig looked aghast for a second. “I—wha—yes _of course_ accidentally, Kent I promise.”

Kent’s entire form fell, the excited gleam dashed from his eyes. Slowly, he set his glass down and sunk into the wingback across from Gig. Gig had never seen his friend’s shoulders so low. He was about to ask what was wrong when Kent shook his head and said, “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“I—I mean,” Gig almost wanted to laugh. “You really think I would harass you like that on purpose?” He looked down and shrugged half-heartedly. “I mean, if that’s true then I must be a worse friend than I thought.” 

“Gig. Look at me,” Kent said. Gig did. Kent was looking at him with the most conviction he’d seen on a person’s face in a _while_. it took him aback if Gig was being honest. This was the most raw emotion Kent had shown since Gig had arrived, and it definitely wasn’t the righteous anger Gig had thought appropriate for the situation. “I believe we are indeed on different pages.” He stood and walked over to Gig, beckoning for him to stand as well. Gig did and Kent took both his hands in his. “I thought you were flirting with me.” 

This time Gig did laugh. But Kent wasn’t laughing. Which probably meant he was serious. “Kent, you… I mean come on.”

Kent looked regretful. He set Gig’s hands down very deliberately and walked back around to his side of the table. He shoved his hands in his pocket and rocked back and forth on his heels for a few moments.  
“Kent, that’s not how people flirt,” Gig said, still not quite believing the circumstances he’d found himself in. 

Kent looked up at him through his eyelashes. “You are extraordinary in many ways, Gig.”

“Extraordinary enough to show you my dick before I’ve even held your hand?” Gig could feel his mind growing more boggled by the second. 

Kent flushed and looked away. “W-would you like to hold my hand?” 

“I mean, yeah, kinda.” Gig shrugged. He hadn’t even really thought of Kent that way. He didn’t tend to think of friends in romantic contexts. Or anyone for that matter. But now that he was _was_ thinking about it… Kent was nice, and attractive. And he clearly liked Gig a lot. And what was the point of anything if he wasn’t trying out new things? “I mean, if you’re up for it.”

“I…” Kent wet his lips. “I would like that very much, actually.”

“Okay,” Gig reached over the table toward Kent’s empty chair. Kent gave a small smile. He sat down and linked his fingers with Gig’s. 

Kent picked up his jelly wine. “To… delightful misunderstandings.” He toasted. Gig barked out a laugh. They toasted. They ate fancy food. Kent told him a funny story about the local fauna. It was nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Finish a multichapter fic!? It's happened at least twice now ‾\\_(ツ)_/‾

**Author's Note:**

> I have the dumbest ideas.


End file.
